Telework has become more prevalent within government agencies, and the latest intelligence from the Office of Personnel Management says employees are pleased! From the environment to the budget, the benefits are far-reaching. But perhaps the most important advantage is to the employees themselves.

All things considered, it’s no surprise adopting collaborative tools in support of a mobile workforce is becoming a top priority for government agencies. These survey results demonstrate just how fast telework opportunities are growing:

In 2012, one out of three government employees were eligible for teleworking, up from one in four in 2012

Almost a quarter of the government workforce engaged in a form of teleworking over the past year

The General Services Administration and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation have the highest rate of teleworkers with more than 80 percent of their employees working remotely

President Barack Obama has been reelected as the 44th president of the United States. And while he may still be holding on to his treasured Blackberry, most of us are more interested in what technology trends he and his administration will pursue to make public sector agencies smarter, faster and more efficient.

To solidify his commitment to furthering technology, Obama made mention of it in his victory speech:

“But despite all our differences, most of us share certain hopes for America’s future; we want our kids to grow up in a country where they access to the best schools and the best teachers. A country that lives up to its legacy as the global leader in technology and discovery and innovation. With all the new jobs and new businesses that follow.”

So looking at Obama’s track record and guarantees, what should the public sector have its eyes on? Take a look at the four technology trends identified by many as likely second-term priorities: Read More »

I love the Internet and all the great social and professional tools available in my life, to do my job, and keep in touch with friends and family around the world. But, we need to be careful since each email or web link represents a potential threat in the cyber world. Forget the ghosts and goblins of Halloween, cyber security threats are scary. Cyber-threats now have the potential to disrupt communications, cause widespread power outages, and compromise sensitive government intelligence – in a blink of an eye.

And, with the proliferation of mobile devices we need to be extra careful to ensure security. A recent U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found “18 of 24 major federal agencies have reported inadequate information security controls,” and in a September 2012 report on mobile security, recommends better implementation of controls for mobile devices need to be encouraged since malware aimed at mobile devices alone has risen 185 percent in less than a year.

The good news is that there are steps we can also take to address these risks including best practices. Click to learn more.

As collaboration technologies become more pervasive in our daily lives, we increasingly hear about video and other communications taking students on virtual fieldtrips, connecting colleagues across the globe and enabling better access to healthcare for rural and under-served communities.

You may have also noticed a dramatic increase in the use of video and collaboration in the Connected Justice areas – courts, law enforcement and corrections. Dallas County, Texas, for example, implemented videoconferencing, or telepresence, a number of years ago and immediately realized multiple benefits from reducing detainee transport to enabling faster case disposal. One application in particular has shown dramatic impact within court systems – remote interpretation. The video below is a great overview of how remote interpretation works and its benefits.

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